Eye-testing device



June 3, 1930. c. B. scoTT EYE TESTING DEVICE Filed June 13, 1927 ZN VEN TE hazie Saou; og- I /QTTOENEY Patented June 3, 1930 CHARLIE R.

SCOTT, or SI'. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TOM. ING co., or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

E. GREEN MANUFACTUR- A coRroRATION or MISSOURI EYE-TESTING DEVICE 4application filed .Tune 13,

" This invention relates generally to eye-testing devices.' Mor-e particularly, my invention has to do with a certain new and useful improvement in cabinets for exhibitingy illumi-V 5 nable ktesting devices, Objects, symbols, or other characters or reading matter employed in diagnosing the condition of the eyes. My invention has for its principal objects the provision of af Simple and inexpensive,

yet durable, practical, and efficient structure for the purpose stated, and the attaining of certain advantages as will more fully appear in the following description. To such end, the invention resides in the novel construction "and arrangement of the cabinet and its parts and in the'eonibinations and arrangements of parts thereof as hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a front view of a cabinet embodying my invention, partsof the front wall or panel thereof being broken away and removed to disclose and expose the interior arrangements Figure 2 is a vertical section, on an .enlarged scale, through the cabinet-on or about the line 2 2, Figure l;

' Figure Sis a horizontal section take-n on or about the line 3 3, Figure l; Figure 4 is a view Similar to Figure 1,

showing a modification of the cabinet struc- Figure 5 is a fragmentary Section taken on or about the line 5 5, Figure 4; and

Figure 6y is a section on the line 6 6, Figure 4. f A"Referring now more in detail and by ref,-

erence characters to the drawing, and first to .Figures l to 3, inclusive, thereof, the cabinet '40 A there villustrated comprises a rectangular casing or Shell'including a rear wall l, spaced side walls 2,-a top wall 3,'and a bottom wall 4, "the same being constructed of wood or other Suitable material' and suitably` fixed '45 permanently together. 1

`The cabinet A'is dividedverticallyor lengthwise, about the middle thereof,by a partition f5. The cabinet Ais, in turn, Subdivided Vby transverse or horizontal partitions 6-into a series of Separate compartments 192V. serial No.' 198,561. Y

made, but the transverse partitions 6 are preferably composed of relatively light weight i pliable insulation material, such as, for instance, sheet asbestos fabric, compressed fibrous material, or the like. It will be understood thatthe several compartments 7 may be of any desirable vdimensions or areav to meet any particular requirements. i

Inter-posed between the several partitions 6 and forming the rear Walls of the res ective compartments 7, are sections 8 of preferably similar material to that ofthe partitions 6, each Sheet or section 8 being curved or arcuate transversely of the cabinet. 'At their outer edges, each partition 6 is preferably flanged, as at 6a, and adhesively fixed to and thereby engaging the partition 5v `and the cabinet side walls 2 and the `adjacent edge portions ofthe partitions 6 andr8, are preferably similar strips 8a for securely, without the employment of nails or other'such attach-` ing members, permanently fasteningl the par- Etitions 6 land 8 together andto the-cabinet.

yIn each ofthe com artments 7 is placed an electric lamp bulb 9 `or the pur Osesof illumination, as"`will later morev ully appear. The Supporting sockets 10 for the lamps 9 are mounted von the central partition 5 and wired and adapted forV connection to a suitable source of lelectrical Supply in: any usual or suitable manner, a 'Standard' connecting cord 1l and yplug 12 being Shown, Figure 1,- conventionally at? the upper end ofthe cabinet,

While/another'cord 13 at the lowerend ofthe cabinet in practice vleadsfto` a device, not

shown, but obviously locatedlat a convenient place preferably somewhatlv remote from the cabinet, for controlling the lighting of the p severallamps 9 f l The f ront'wall` or panel14 of the cabinet is preferably removablefandf'is normally set in betweenthemarginal'portions ofthe side and end Walls ofthe cabinet, resting at' its mar-A gins uponshoulders lformed by rabbeting Said side and'end walls, and being supported Y at its middle by the central partition 5, as best seen in Figures 3 and 5. This wall or panel 14 is detachably held in place by suitable clips 16, which latter are conveniently mounted on `the end walls 3 and 4 and are movable out of engaging relation to the wall or panel by loosening the clamping nut 1Ga or the like (see Figure 5).

As shown, the front wall or panel 14 is a unitary structure comprising a pair of separate transparentplates 17 of glass or other substance of like character, placed flatwise together' with an interposed intermediate plate 18, the outer face of the panel being covered by a sheet of opaque fabric 19 whose marginal portions are folded over and adhcsively or otherwise fixed to the marginal portions of said plates, so as tol bind them securely together. Interposed between one of' the plates 17 and the intermediate plate 18, is a sheet 20 of light-penetrable or translucent material, preferably parchment paper, on which is printed or otherwise marked the usual test devices, objects, symbols, yor other characters or reading matter used in diagnosing the condition of the eyes, the respective fields of display thereof being coincident with the'several compartments of the cabinet, so as to be illuminated by the respective contained lamps 9, and the opaque covering material 19 is correspondingly provided with sight openings 21 through which the respective fields are exposed to View. 1n this connection, it may be here stated that the particular panel 14 shown in the drawings is reversible, and, to such end, the opaque covering 19 is provided on both sides of the panel, or, in other words, on the outer faces of both of the body plates 17, sight openin s 21 being provided correspondingly in said covering material on both sides.

In Figures 4 and 6 of the drawings, a modification of the cabinet structure is illustrated, wherein there are two parallel central partitions 5* corresponding to and taking the place of the single partition 5 of the first structure. The two partitions 5a are spaced apart, therebyproviding an elongated central conduit chamber 2.2 extending from end to end of the cabinet, which may be conveniently utilized for .the storage of the electrical wiring for the lamp circuits and the cord-13 of the controlling device, which latter cord may be normallyfolded and stored in the conduit chamberv 2,2 and withdrawn therefrom as needed in any particular installation.

In other respects, this structure is substantially the same as that herein first described, except that the arcuate compartment menibers 8 between the partitions 6 are given a shape slightly different from that of the `arcuate members 8 of the other struct-ure, in that `they are preferably brought with their middle portions down flatwise against the rear wall 1 of the cabinet (see Figure 6) In this particular modification, also, there is provided a false front for the cabinet, the same underlying the removable front wall or panel 14, as indicated at 23. This false front member is preferably composed of the same o character of material as that of the partition members 6, 8, and 8', and it is provided with openings 24 substantially coincident with, but preferably somewhat larger in length and breadth than, the respective openings 19 of the opaque covering 17 of the front wall or panel 14.

1n this modification, it is further preferable to cement the partition-flanges 6al to the adjacent inner or under face of the false front 23, the latter being in turn secured at its margins tothe shoulders 15 of the casing walls.

The members Sand 8', in addition to largely covering and concealing the sockets 10 and the wiring thereto, serve as reflectors for the light from the lamps 9 in the compartments 7 and are accordingly preferably tinted in a characteristic color, preferably a shade of blue, as are also the partition members 6, so as to give the desired hue to the light as reflected thereby through the sheet 2O bearing the described test-characters. I might add that by so curving or flexing the compartment rear-wall members 8, 8, I am enabled to increase the reflecting surface thereof and reduce heat generated within the cabinet, such heat finding escape from the cabinet by means of openings or ventilators 25 provided for the purpose preferably in the end walls of the cabinet.

hile the structures herein shown and described are simple and practical for the purposes intended, it is obvious that further modifications and changes in the parts thereof may be made and substituted for those hereinshown and described without in the least departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the details shown in the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In an eye-testing device, in combination, a cabinet structure comprising top, bottom, and side walls, partition members of sheet material disposed within the cabinet, said members having their forward marginal portions turned at right angles to the body portion thereof, a false front element of the same character of material as said partition members disposed upon and secured at adjacent portions of its under face to said right angular port-ions of said partition members, said false front element having sight openings therein co-ordinated respectively with and of reduced dimensions relatively to the se arate compartments provided in the cabinet y the relative arrangement of said partition members therein, and a paneled front wall disposed atwise over and upon said front element and disposed at its margin Within the confines of the cabinet defined by the walls thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLIE B. SCOTT. 

